From last night it became cold. I guess winter is pretty much here now. Usually I gradually slide into the cold weather taking steps one at a time. Wearing long underwear, using the floor heater in the living room, using an electric blanket at night. Today I started all of those at once.
This past Wednesday we had a VIP guest at our factory, the crown prince of Japan. He was attending a nearby conference on agriculture in the Hyogo prefecture, but they arranged in advance a stop to look at the factory floor and get a very brief tour of the car body assembly area.
I heard about it in advance, and it was interesting to see the preparations. The day before the visit the police must have come through and checked all the manholes and service hatches in the sidewalk outside our factory, because they were all sealed with metallic tape. The prince was only here an hour, but they had the most police and security I have ever seen anywhere at one time escorting. While a helicopter circled above most of the employees were in a security lockdown in our offices – not allowed to leave for an hour. They also told us not to stand at the windows and try to watch. I guess some sniper might get an itchy finger or something.
Anyway, I guess the visit went smoothly, and it made the local papers the next day. It was kind of a cool thing to have happen, and it made me realize again just how big a company I work for.
Tonight Kuniko and I will meet in Akashi and do a little Christmas shopping, and maybe grab dinner out. Tomorrow we’ll meet in Osaka and go to dinner with some friends to celebrate Ai-chan’s pregnancy. It’ll be my first time to meet her husband – apparently he is extremely shy and skipped last year’s party because of it. I hope he is loosened up enough to deal with us.
Sunday a pair of professional cleaners will come and work their magic on our kitchen and bath room. Instead of us scrubbing away during the annual major cleaning, we’ve decided to outsource this year. It is pretty reasonable to have it done by these guys, who come recommended by a friend of Kuniko’s. My job on Saturday is to clean up for the cleaners, and then my job on Sunday is to sit and read while they work their asses off, and then pay them when they finish. Maybe I’ll make them a cup of coffee while they’re at it.
